India needs full gender parity to move forward confidently

Source: The post India needs full gender parity to move forward confidently has been created, based on the article “Unfinished business of gender parity in India” published in “The Hindustan Times” on 19th June 2025

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 1-society-Women Empowerment

Context: India ranks 131st in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025, behind most South Asian and all BRICS countries. While there are visible improvements in education and grassroots politics, economic participation by women remains weak. The article stresses the urgent need for full institutional inclusion of women.

For detailed information on Steps to improve gender parity in India read this article here

India’s Gender Gap: A Troubling Global Rank

1. Stagnation in Global Position: India stands at 131 out of 148 countries, reflecting its slow pace in bridging gender disparities. The fall in rank is due to other countries progressing faster.
2. Poor Regional Comparison: India performs worse than all BRICS nations and lags behind most South Asian neighbours, signalling an urgent need for accelerated reforms.

Gains in Education and Political Visibility

1. Education Nearing Parity: Women’s educational attainment is at 97%, approaching full parity with men.
2. Grassroots Representation Through Panchayati Raj: Thanks to reservation laws, women now hold 45% of seats in panchayati raj institutions, strengthening grassroots democracy.
3. Parliamentary Representation Still Low: Despite local gains, women form just 14% of Parliament — the highest ever, but still far from adequate.
4. Improved Entry into Bureaucracy: Women made up 41% and 38% of recent recruits in the IAS and IFS, showing positive trends, though overall representation remains unclear.

Economic Participation Remains a Major Weakness

1. Declining Workforce Involvement: The female labour force participation rate has dropped sharply. Women contribute less than 20% to GDP, earn under one-third of men’s income, and hold few leadership roles.
2. Economic Cost of Exclusion: McKinsey estimates India could add $770 billion to GDP by 2025 with gender parity. At the current rate, this may take 135 years — a massive missed opportunity.

Structural Barriers and Institutional Apathy

1. Severe Underrepresentation in Institutions: Women are just 3% in the armed forces, 12% in the police, and only one out of 33 Supreme Court judges. Such minimal presence reflects institutional reluctance.
2. Negligent Legal Standards: Bodies like NHRC have never had more than one woman member. Laws only require “at least one woman,” enabling tokenism.
3. Deep-Rooted Cultural Biases: Institutions treat male norms as default. When women assert their realities, it is often misread as asking for favour, not fairness.

Promising Initiatives and the Road Ahead

1. Economic Empowerment Schemes: Self-Help Groups, savings plans, and credit access are helping rural women shift from subsistence to entrepreneurship.
2. Upcoming Political Gains: The long-promised 33% reservation in legislatures may materialise post-census, leveraging the strong grassroots base.
3. Global Models of Reform: The UK’s use of all-women shortlists raised female representation from under 10% to over 30%, proving systemic redesign works.

Urgent Need for Institutional Reform

1. Breaking the 33% Barrier: The national mindset remains fixed at 33% inclusion. True parity demands moving beyond this artificial ceiling.
2. Inclusion as a Right, Not a Favour: Institutions must evolve fully and deliberately — not to concede, but to correct a long-standing injustice.

Question for practice:

Discuss how structural and institutional barriers hinder gender parity in India.